Huaier extract suppresses non-small cell lung cancer progression through activating NLRP3-dependent pyroptosis.

Recent studies have reported the anticancer activity of huaier extract in various human malignancies. However, little is known about the effect of huaier extract in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and its underlying mechanism. The current study aimed to investigate whether huaier extract affects the progression of NSCLC. mRNA and proteins expression of pyroptotic-related genes (NLRP3, caspase-1, IL-1β, and IL-18) in NSCLC tissues and cells were, respectively, detected by qRT-PCR and western blot. The effects of huaier extract on NSCLC cell viability and cytotoxicity were evaluated by CCK-8 assay, colony formation assay, and LDH detection kit. Besides, we established a xenograft model to assess the antitumor effect of huaier extract on tumor growth in vivo. Our results showed that the expression of pyroptotic-related genes was downregulated in NSCLC tissues and cell lines. Huaier extract pretreatment inhibited cell viability and the percentage of colony formation of H520 and H358 cells, and upregulated the expression of pyroptotic-related genes. Mechanistically, huaier extract exhibited antitumor effect in NSCLC via inducing NLRP3-dependent pyroptosis in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, our finding confirmed that huaier extract played an antitumor role in NSCLC progression through promoting pyroptotic cell death, which provided a new potential strategy for NSCLC clinical treatment.